Stamp holder



Dec. 1,1925- S ,563,686

M. B. BULTMAN STAMP HOLDER Filed NOV. 22. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet lWITNESSES IN V EN TOR A TTORNE YS Dec. 1,1925- f 1,563,686

M. B. BULTMAN STAMP HOLDER Filed Nov. 22. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2WITNESSES IN VEN TOR M-B- Balma n;

ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

' UNITED STATES PATENT, oFFlcE.

STAMP HOLDER.

Application filed November 22, 1923. Serial No. 676,418.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MELBnooKs B. Born- MAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Sumter, in the county of Sumter and State ofSouth Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStamp Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionrelates to a holder especially adapted for holding stamps,and is designed primarily for use by rural mail carriers, offices or thelike.

The object of the invention is to provide a, stamp holder of thischaracter which greatly facilitates the handling of the stamps, theholder preserving the stamps in their original condition and preventingsticking or gumming of the stamps to each other, thereby facilitatingthe handling of the stamps in Warm weather.

A further object is to provide a stamp holder of this character andhaving the advantages enumerated and which also facilitates severing ofthe. stamps from each other.

A further object is to provide a stamp holder which may be convenientlyand readily supplied with stamps as often as may be required.

Another object is to provide a stamp holder having all of theseadvantages and capacities and which is also of simple "and durableconstruction, reliable in operation and easily and comparativelyinexpensive to manufacture. I

Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in certain novelfeatures of the construction, combination and arrangementof parts whichwillbe hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out inthe appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view, showing the pre ferred embodiment of theinvention;

.Figure 2 is a view thereof inside elevation, I

Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal vertical section, on line'3,3 ofFigure 4, parts being shown in elevation for the sake of illustra tion;

Figure at is a view in transverse vertical section on line 4- of Figure1, parts being omitted for the sake of illustration;

Figure 5 is a view in transverse vertical section on line 55 of Figure3; and

Figure 6 1s a group view in perspective,

showing the roll holding shaft and its operthrough in the bracket orbearing portion 16 and threaded into the material of the mounting 17.The mounting 17 is provided with an axial opening 19 which extendsentirely therethrough and is also formed with an annular flange 20 oneach of its lateral faces. These annularfianges 20 are slightly spacedinwardly from the periphery of the mounting and serve a purpose whichwill hereinafter be more fully pointed out. The periphery of themounting 16 is provided with a plurality of notches or sockets 21arranged in pairs and serving a purpose which will be hereinafter fullydescribed.

In this embodiment of the invention it is proposed to utilize two stampholders, one stamp holder being arranged at each side of the mounting16, and being supported and completed by this mounting as will bepresently described. As these stamp holders are of identicalconstruction, a common description will serve for both.

Each stamp holder includes a cylindrical casing 25 which may beconveniently constructed of metal. An end plate 26 closes one end of thecasing and is formed with a central bearing 27. As shown to advantage inFigure 3 the marginal edge of'the cylindrical. casing at the open endthereof fits snugly over the annular flange 20 of the lateral face ofthe mounting 16'with which the casing is associated. In order to holdeach casing on itsflange 20 of the mounting 16 a pair of spring clips 28are provided on each casing. Flach spring clip 28 is constructed ofresilient metal and has and the end thereof which is curled, as at.

30, the clip is curved and is so arranged that the inherent resiliencyoflthe clip tends to maintain the curled end 30 seated in the socket 31in the assembly. The clips 2f? are arranged diametrically opposite oneach casing and in conjunction with the flange serve to securely thoughreleasably hold each'clip to the mounting 16.

"Within each casing 26 means is provided fol-holding a roll of-stampsand preferably such means-comprises a :roll holding shaft, designatedgenerally at'35. EaCh roll hold- I ing-shaft includes a bodyportionhaving one end tapered, as at 37, so as to facilitate the mounting ofthe roll of stamps, designated at R thereon. Thebody portion 36 of eachroll l10l(ll11g shaftis also transverselyslotted as at 38, thetransverse slot being adapted to receive the strip S provided on eachroll so as to insure rotation of the roll with the shaft. The shaft maybe 30 of such size as to frictionally engage the I wall of the centralopening of the roll as an additional means to insure the rotation of theroll with the shaft and in this event the fact that the body portion of:the shaft 36 is slotted W ill endow the shaft with some degree oftransverse resiliency and will adapt it ffor use with rolls in which thecentral openings vary :to some degree. The shaft 85 also includesameduced smooth portion 139 and a reduced threaded :portion 40. In theassembly the smooth portion 39 iis rotatably journaled in (the bearing27 of its end plate 26 and the exteriorly threaded portion 40 projects.exteriorly of the casing 25. An operating knob 4 1 having an axial-bore 42 lined with an internally threaded metallic bus'hing 4-3 isprovided for each roll holding shaft and the internally threaded bushing43 of each operating kno'b 'has threaded engagement with the externallythreaded portion .40 of its roll holding Shaft 35. It is to be.understood that each bushing 48 is fixed or held -.in the bore of itsoperating knob 41. Each operating knob 41 has its periphery imilled, asat 4:4, to facilitate turning and is .provided with a collar 45 having.a smooth :face -46 adapted Ito engage a similar smooth faee 27 providedon the hub or central bearing 27 of each end plate. It .is to be notedthat with this arrangement the .operating knob 41 when turned tends totravel along the threaded portion 40 of the shaft 35 since a slightresistance is pre sented 1 to the turning of the shaft The resistance tothe turning of the shaft 85 is however very slight. The tendency of theoperating glrnob Ll etc-travel along the threaded portion'of the shaft"85 =tends to bring its smooth face 1-6 into slight frictionalengagement with the smooth face 27 of the bearing 27, and this tends toretard the turning or rotation of the shaft. It does not however preventthe turning ofthe-shaft but. only'prevents free running thereof andprovides the desired braking or retarding action to the turning movementof the roll holding shaft. The operating knob ll ise'ifective to impartturning movement to the shaft .35 since the resistance to the turning ofthe shaft 35 is only slightly inexcessof the resistance presented to thetravel of the iknob along the shaft by the engagement of the threads ofthe bushing 4.3 with the threads of'the portion 4h oftheshaft 35. Thesameeffect'may be had by keying or suitably fixing the operating knob tothe shaft-35 andproviding in addition to this knob any suitable brakingmeans such for instance as 'the .radial arm having one end secured 'tothe shaft .255 exteriorly of the casing, the arm being resilient and theopposite end of the arm carrying a shoe which is urged by the inherentresiliency of the'arm into gfrietional engagement with theendplateflfi.

Eaclrcasing-25 is provided with a delivery slot or opening 50.and atensioning device, designated generally at 5'11'is arranged on-eachcasing adjacent each delivery opening 50. Each tensioning deviceinclludesa shelf 52 having an attaching .portion 53 secured by means ofscrew or the like 5'4 to thecasing. Theshelf 52 is formed ,With abearing edge 55 which facilitatesthe tearing of the stamps from eachother. The tensioning .device also includes a tensioning plate 56 havingaportion secured :by-serews or similar fastening means 57 to the :casingon the. opposite'sideof the opening :from the shelf 52. This tensioningplate 56 [is eonstructed of a single ;piece of resilient metal andintermediate its ends is bent back upon itself to ,provide a curvedtensioning ,shoe 158 which :is urged iby the ;i1 i'here nt'resiliency ofthe metal comprising the tensioning plate ailltO engagement with theshelf :52. Beyond theshoe 58-the tensioning plate is formed with acurved extension 759 which eonstitutesa finger hold-and which may beused for releasing the shoe 58 from itsengagement with the shelf T52.

In use the supporting member 10 maybe secured in position by .means ofbolts and nuts 60 and '61 extending through .the .opening 12 and slot14, respectively. The provision of two stamp holders as shown in thisembodiment of the invention makes .it .possible tousea single mountingfor the dispensing of {stamps of different denomination.

The mounting 16 serves not only to support and mount each stamp holderbut also completes the structure of the same and coacts with the stampholder to entirely enclose the stamps. At the same time each stampholder is readily removable and when removed may be readily filled witha new supply of stamps, for when the stamp holder is removed its rollholding shaft is easily accessible.

When it is desired to dispense stamps the operating knob 41 is graspedand turned and the tensioning device 51 may be released by pressingagainst the thumb piece or finger 59 to move the shoe 58 away from theshelf 52. As the rotation of the roll holding shaft 35 is retardedaccidental spinning of the shaft and accidental unwinding of the stampsfrom the roll is prevented. When the desired number of stamps has beendispensed from the opening 50 they may be conveniently severed from thestamps on the roll by virtue of the tearing edge 55 provided on theshelf 52. This severing of the stamps on the roll is further facilitatedby the provision of the tensioning device. It is to be understood thatwhen the stamps are to be severed the finger hold or thumb piece 59 isreleased sothat the shoe 58 springs back toward the plate 52 and pressesthe stamps lying on the shelf 52 firmly thereagainst. The tensioningdevice also coacts with the means employed for retarding the movement ofthe shaft 35 to prevent undesirable and accidental unwinding of thestamps from the roll.

I claim:

1. A stamp holder comprising a single central mounting having annularflanges at its opposite ends and having sockets on its periphery andalso having a shaft-receiving opening at its center, and a pair of stampholders, each of said stamp holders comprising a casing having one endopen and the other end closed, the open ends of the casings beingdesigned to fit on the flanges of the mounting, spring clips connectedto the casings and having portions engaged in the sockets of themounting for releasably holding the casings on the mounting, and a shaftrotatably mounted on each casing, the shafts having tapered inner endsreceived in the opening of the mounting.

2. A stamp holder comprising a single central mounting having annularflanges at its opposite ends and also having a shaft-receiving openingat its center, and a pair of stamp holders, each of said stamp holderscomprising a casing having one end open and its other end closed, theopen ends of the casings being designed to fit on the flanges of themounting, and a' shaft rotatably mounted on each casing, the shaftshaving tapered inner ends received in the opening of the mounting.

MELBROOKS B. BULTMAN.

